Trying to be weird is not enough

Having an attitude, being offensive, acting weird and behaving like an all out psycho are parts of the image a lot of musicians try to create for themselves. But trying to be weird is not enough. Some people have strong enough personalities (or mental disorders) to pull it off, but some just end up being pathetic trying to be strange and interesting. For some examples of truly strange people in music I have compiled a short list of my favorite weirdos. Feel free to compare them to the next Marilyn Manson-clone to pop up and try tell the real thing from the act.

Tom Ellard (Severed Heads) - Tom would probably not want to be bunched up with these guys, since he's a regular bloke who even posts frequently on his own fan mailing list. He might even read this (in that case: sorry Tom). Still, his attitude towards the music industry and his sometimes caustic remarks are things that would-be rocker bad-boys would pay millions to be able to pull off. Someone called him impish and I agree.

Michael Gira (Swans) - Gira's lyrics, writings and interviews should be required reading for any doom-and-gloom goth type who wants to pour their angst into the ears of an unsuspecting audience. You think you're depressed? Think again...